WITH their wings crippled in the ballgames and other featured events, the Blue Eagles Cluster 1 relied on the Provincial Sports Development Office personnel to pounce on their only championship win in the just-held Civil Service Commission Sportsfest at the Capitol ground, Cagayan de Oro City.
Despite not fielding their best lineup, the Blue Eagles troika of Arian Belly Calido, William Reintegrado, and Shirov Ski and reserve player Chuck Panis gamely responded to the challenge of PSDO caretakers Tommy Cailing, and Reynand Fuentes to win the chess championship convincingly.
The Gray Wolves Cluster 4 of Noel Paguidopon, Millard Tero, and the fresh-from-United States Alejandre Barbac Jr placed runner-up; while the White Knights Cluster 3 of Eric Villarente, Reynaldo Saliring, and Zash Gulayao pocketed the second runner-up prize.
The always undermanned Red Stallions Cluster 6 may not make the podium but their board 3 player, the good-looking Engr Alexa Ejem did manage to scare her male rivals, even suffering just a solitary loss in as many games.
And why not?
Engr Ejem is a former bemedalled chess athlete and once a part of the Northern Mindanao regional palaro meet and National Milo Little Olympics.
